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The Douglas Hospital Research Centre Is Unionizing

Montreal, March 13, 2018 – The Tribunal administratif du travail (administrative labour tribunal) has recently certified the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC-Quebec) as the union representing the Research Centre of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute (Douglas RC). Readers will recall that on December 22, PSAC-Quebec filed an application for certification to represent all Douglas RC employees.

“We could tell this group was enthusiastic from the get-go. We are immensely proud of the outcome and welcome them into the PSAC-Quebec fold. Not to mention that unionizing will increase the strength of workers in hospital research centres,” noted Magali Picard, Regional Executive Vice-President of PSAC-Quebec.

This unit consists of approximately 300 research associates, research assistants, technicians, research coordinators, animal care attendants and administrative staff. The aims of the Douglas employees include improvements to salary conditions, a guaranteed annual cost-of-living adjustment for all employees and a robust job evaluation process.

The Douglas RC workers make up the second group of hospital research centre employees to unionize in Montreal. In 2013, a majority of employees of the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine research centre decided to join PSAC-Quebec.

PSAC-Quebec has successfully negotiated considerable improvements to the salaries and other working conditions of the professional and support staff it represents in the research sector.